"Is the orchestra all ready?"
"All ready, but…"
"What about the songstresses?"
"One hundred and eight of them, all selected from across the country, and we even invited the famous Fuji Fubuki to perform. However, my lord…"
"The banquet and celebration are also arranged to the highest standards."
"Please rest assured."
The Grand Chancellor wiped the sweat from his forehead. Seeing that the daimyo still wanted to question the banquet's details, he could no longer suppress the anxiety in his heart and raised his voice slightly, "Lord Tokugawa!"
The daimyo of Land of the Wind, Tokugawa Shingen, was startled. His round belly quivered as he straightened his ceremonial hat and smiled, gesturing politely with his hand.
The old Grand Chancellor looked at the smiling daimyo before him, face turning red with urgency.
"My lord, Ryosuke is right inside Warsaw City! He just settled his luggage, and his group is already searching for intelligence in the city. They might already be contacting people, plotting rebellion! You… you're not even a little worried!"
If not for the fact that the Grand Chancellor still had two aged "magic pills" under his waist, the scene before him would've perfectly resembled "the emperor's calm while the eunuch panics."
Whoosh~
Tokugawa Shingen flicked open his folding fan and lightly fanned the anxious old man before him.
"When they entered the city, did you do as I said?"
"Yes."
"Did Ryosuke kill anyone?"
"No."
The Grand Chancellor quickly described everything that had happened at the city gate. When he finished, he slapped his thigh again and again.
"My lord, I've lived for over seventy years and seen all kinds of villains and cutthroats, but Ryosuke…"
The Grand Chancellor recalled... another kind of intimidation entirely.
It was like a blade hanging above one's head, whether it fell or not depending entirely on the other person's whim.
Precisely because of that, there was no need for threats or intimidation. Just a silent gaze was enough to make one feel awe from the depths of the soul.
'Killing some second-generation brat would be meaningless. Then who would be interesting to kill?'
'It couldn't possibly be the old Grand Chancellor, this half-buried old man, right?'
Ryosuke's implication was clear… no, it was outright obvious, he was referring to Tokugawa himself.
"Relax. He won't kill me."
The daimyo smiled. "If Ryosuke wanted to kill me, he wouldn't go in circles with you. My head would already be hanging from the city wall by now. Don't forget the 'Demon's Hand' at the Loulan Ruins."
That vast stretch of earth torn open for dozens of kilometers, glowing with eternal purple fire, such a terrifying scene had been captured from above by people in nearby cities riding hot air balloons.
It looked like a demon's hand stretching up from the abyss of hell.
"The Akatsuki were defeated."
"The Sand Village betrayed him."
Tokugawa Shingen's smile deepened. "Tell me, who in Warsaw City could possibly stand against him now?"
The Grand Chancellor's eyes reddened. "This humble servant swears to defend my lord's safety to the death. That villain Ryosuke indeed commands mighty soldiers and sharp blades, but, "
The old man suddenly drew a short dagger from his waist.
"My blade has never been dull either!"
"Please calm down."
Seeing the old man trembling with excitement, Tokugawa quickly stood up to support him.
But in his haste, the daimyo stood up too fast, his vision went black, and he fell straight into the Grand Chancellor's arms. The dagger happened to stab right into Tokugawa's round belly.
"My lord?!"
"My lord!!!"
———
Two hours later, Ryosuke and his group returned to the courtyard arranged by the daimyo.
According to Tokugawa's schedule, they would rest briefly, then attend the banquet that evening.
The following morning, both sides would hold talks to negotiate and sign an agreement.
Perhaps to avoid "long nights and many dreams," this visit was arranged to be much shorter than the previous one to the Water Country.
After getting tricked once by the Water Country, Ryosuke had no desire to be tricked a second time.
So before the banquet began, everyone went out separately to gather information and get a sense of the city's current state.
They now sat cross-legged on the tatami floor. Rasa formed hand seals and set up a soundproof barrier.
Meanwhile, Chiyo released her puppets to scout the surroundings.
A few seconds later, both of them nodded at Ryosuke, signaling that it was safe to talk.
"Let's start sharing information," Ryosuke said.
"I'll go first."
Rasa began, "Factories and enterprises have seen a sharp increase in conflicts and suicides over the past year. Also, the ideology of 'awakening' is spreading rapidly among the lower classes."
"This may sound strange, but… the rate of spread is almost exaggerated and…"
He searched for the right words.
"Just say it," Ryosuke said.
Rasa nodded. "It's outright insane."
From what he'd gathered, the lower-class people were clinging to this ideology as if it were the last straw for the desperate, pinning all their hopes on a vague, hollow belief.
They prayed and chanted daily, as if doing so would make someone descend from the heavens to save them from their suffering.
Rasa couldn't understand it, he only wanted to chop the daimyo's head off, but still, was this really how it should be?
Ryosuke didn't comment and turned to Chiyo.
Chiyo said, "I went looking for a few old friends. Most are dead, but a few still live."
"From what they told me, the Land of the Wind's daimyo… has probably given in."
She continued, "Because of this, the bureaucrats in Warsaw City are split into two factions."
"One believes that at this point, it's best to appease Ryosuke, spend the Land of the Wind's wealth and win his favor. That's the only way forward."
"The other believes that if today you give up five cities, tomorrow you'll give up ten, and only then enjoy a night's peace. Look around, when Ryosuke comes again, wouldn't it be better to fight to the last breath?"
Ryosuke was speechless.
Chiyo sipped her hot tea. "Anyway, these past days the two factions have been brawling non-stop. The government of Warsaw City has turned into a pot of chaos, while the daimyo himself listens to music and enjoys performances every day, like he's accepted his fate."
Ryosuke thought for a moment. "Do you think the war faction will attack us?"
"Heh..."
Chiyo sneered.
"They're just a bunch of civil officials."
Ryosuke understood what she meant.
He then turned to Kakashi, pausing briefly when his gaze passed over Takeshi. "Do you have any intel to share?"
Takeshi scratched his head awkwardly.
"I wandered around outside and only got this."
He took several flyers from his pocket.
"Handsome men and muscular hunks, let us chase away your troubles!"
Below that were pink letters, "Sincere listening," "Exclusive companionship," "Healing time," and similar slogans.
"They said if I don't have a job, I could work with them."
"And a few talent scouts said I'd be perfect for their movies and gave me business cards..."
Seeing those romantic, suggestive flyers and business cards, everyone was stunned. Then, imagining the fearsome general of the Anhilation Army, Takeshi, wearing a suit and drinking wine with rich women, they all burst into laughter.
Takeshi was mortified and could only bow his head and sip tea.
Ryosuke waved his hand with a grin. "It's not your fault. You weren't trained as a ninja, you're not good at gathering intel anyway."
Finally, he looked toward Kakashi.
"Well, I…"
Kakashi's smile faded, his expression turning grim. "That's actually where the problem is."
Since the blind seer had passed away, Kakashi had taken on the task of contacting the "rats" of Warsaw City. He'd gone all the way to the outskirts and infiltrated underground, only to find that the city's network of rats...
"...had all disappeared."
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